Daily Journey - April 24

April 24

The trees went forth on a time to anoint a king over them; and they said unto the olive tree, Reign thou over us. But the olive tree said unto them, Should I leave my fatness, wherewith by me they honour God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees? Judges ix. 8, 9

In this parable, the temptation to the olive tree is a throne, a crown, a kingdom, a sovereignty over the trees. … Now there is always a sort of glitter about a kingdom. There are few persons who can resist the fascinations of a diadem. To reign over the trees might seem even to the olive tree to be a very strong temptation—a brilliant offer indeed. Take heed, dear friends, lest you be carried away by the deceitfulness of the pleasures, the profits, the honours which Satan puts in your way. When we are likely to be gainers by any proposal, we ought always to look well at it before deciding. … We have always been taught that, when there is very large interest to be had, there is something rotten about the security, and very great risk to those who invest in it; and it is just so in all things. Whenever there come to you, all of a sudden, some very alluring offer, something very grand and very unusual, like this request,… then doubly be on your guard, for it is after this fashion that Satan baits his book, and catches his fish. It is after this manner that he goes forth to hunt for his prey; and many have been entangled in the meshes of the golden net who seemed in other ways to have escaped the corruptions of the world. (C. H. Spurgeon, The Treasury of the Bible, Vol. 1 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1962), p. 563)